The Winter Soldier
by family-and-free-will
Summary: Everything you loved about Captain America: The Winter Soldier only the main leads are substituted with characters from Supernatural. Dean Winchester/Captain America, Sam Winchester/Winter Soldier, Castiel/Falcon, Charlie Bradbury/Natasha Romanoff, Crowley/Director Fury. Full character list inside - Artwork by the wonderful petite-madame on Tumblr -
1. Chapter 1

This story will (mostly) follow the plot of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Main characters from the movie will be substituted with characters from Supernatural.

**Character parallels **

Dean Winchester as Steve Rodgers/Captain America

Charlie Bradbury as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Sam Winchester as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier

Castiel as Sam Wilson/Falcon

Crowley as Nick Fury

Adam Milligan as Brock Rumlow

Balthazar, Samandriel and Gadreel as the S.T.R.I.K.E. team

Ruby 2.0 as Maria Hill

Jo Harvelle as Sharon Carter/Agent 13

Zachariah as Alexander Pierce

Gabriel as Agent Coulson

Alastair as Georges Batroc

**Characters from Captain America (That remain the same) Some may appear in the story, but most will only be mentioned. **

Tony Stark/Iron Man

Dr. Banner/Hulk

Clint Barton/Hawkeye

Thor

Loki

**Disclaimer: None of the characters from Supernatural or Captain America are mine. I'm only borrowing them :)**

* * *

_In order to build a better world, sometimes you have to tear the old one down._

The sun crept over the horizon slowly, signaling the arrival of dawn on the city of Washington D.C.

Dean Winchester jogged around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at a pace that would have seemed almost inhuman to any passerby. But Dean Winchester wasn't just your average guy. You didn't have to be into comic books to know that.

Dean called out to a dark haired jogger as he passed him.

"On your left!"

The man nodded in response, eyes widening at Dean's extreme jogging pace. "Slow down there buddy, don't hurt yourself!" The man called, but Dean just grinned and left him in the dust. About thirty seconds later he passed him again.

"On your left!"

And again.

"On your left!"

"Don't you dare say it!" The dark haired man warned as he passed him once again.

Dean just winked and quickened his pace. "On your left!"

"You son of a bitch." The man huffed, finally giving in and collapsing beside a cluster of large oaks lining the massive lawn. Dean followed in suit after finishing his fifty sixth lap around the pool. "Hey, you running from something? Show me some ID!" He teased, draining a bottle of water in one gulp. The dark haired man shook his hand heartily. "Castiel Novak. And I presume you are the notorious Captain America?"

Dean winked. "How did you guess?"

"Dude you just ran like thirty miles in a half an hour. Call it a lucky guess, but it takes one to know one" Castiel smirked. "Where I come from, people idolize you."

"Oh really? Let me guess, you were in the Navy? Marines?"

"Air force. Special Operations." Castiel explained, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Fancy."

The purr of an expensive engine roared throughout the city and a moment later a sleek, black Lamborghini Aventador pulled up along side the pair. "Can any of you boys direct me to the Smithsonian? I'm here to pick up a fossil." A pretty red haired woman called from the front seat.

"Very funny Charlie. Dean rolled his eyes, but climbed in beside her, waving back at Castiel. "See you around Novak." Castiel blushed as they drove off, giddy at having actually met the infamous Dean Winchester.

Charlie punched him in the shoulder playfully. "Someone is smitten." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Am not!"

"Don't deny it. Look, I know that you were frozen in a block of ice for sixty five years but you've still got it." She tapped his chest mockingly. "You're looking pretty good for a ninety five year old man."

"Shut up." He slapped her hand away but Charlie just grinned and smacked on her gum. "What are we being called in for?" Dean asked.

Charlie applied her lipstick as she drove. "Don't know. Crowley is supposed to give us the rundown at headquarters." Dean groaned. He had always hated the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. It was like five pentagons stacked on top of each other, only with ten times the security. And assholes.

Charlie waved at the guards as they entered S.H.I.E.L.D. gates, pulling into a reserved parking spot at the door and tossing her keys at the doorman. "Don't scratch her boys, she's a rental."

Dean snickered as Charlie strutted through the doors like she owned the place in admiration. He only wish he had that kind of confidence when dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D. After Manhattan he had a hard time trusting the organization. Crowley had quite the reputation for going behind people's backs, even when he claimed that it was with good intentions.

The pair took the Triskelion's massive glass elevator, stopping at the fifth floor to pick up Agent Barton. Dean flinched and pressed his back up against the glass, trying to look nonchalant while he attempted to put as much space between him and Agent Barton as possible. Things had been extremely awkward between them since Charlie had tried to set them up on a date, to which Dean had adamantly refused. Although he refused to admit it, Clint had a bit of a crush on Charlie and saw Dean as competition. Thus began an extremely awkward love triangle, emphasized by the fact that they three were often sent on missions together.

Dean was thoroughly tired of people trying to "set him up with people." Back in his time people took things in less of a stride. Despite his last few years in the twenty first century, he still didn't feel ready to pursue a relationship with anybody.

Barton got of on the sixth floor without looking at either of them. Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Definitely awkward.

The elevator came to a stop on the top floor where Crowley's office was. Charlie scanned her retina on the access pad, unlocking the door. In the corner stood Director Crowley, looking dapper in his usual suit.

"Hello darlings." Crowley smirked, turning to face the agents. "Please excuse us, miss Bradbury. I would like to speak with Mr. Winchester first before I brief you on your task." Charlie nodded in understanding and left the pair alone in the office. Taking a seat and kicking his feet up on the desk, Dean met eyes with his director. "What seems to be the problem?"

"See for yourself." Crowley tossed him a holographic file, detailing the mission. "One of the our ships has been hijacked by a small terrorist group lead by a man named Alastair. The pirates are holding hostages, mostly from tech and one officer from communications. They are demanding ransom but you know as well as I that S.H.I.E.L.D does not compromise. Your mission is to regain control of the ship and rescue the hostages." Dean nodded in understanding and finished flipping through the digital file.

"Sounds easy enough. Who are my wing men?"

"Adam Milligan from S.T.R.I.K.E and Charlie. He is expecting you on level one right now."

Dean sighed aloud in relief that he didn't get paired with Agent Barton again. If he was being honest with himself the guy kind of scared him. Dude was a grade A bad ass. But then again, so was Adam Milligan.

"Better not keep Adam waiting." Crowley advised, looking back at the city.

Dean bid farewell to the director and took the elevator all the way down to the underground floors. Adam greeted him as he stepped off the platform. The blond man clapped a hand on his shoulder and led him down the hallway.

"Good to see you Winchester. I'm assuming you've done your homework?"

"Done and done."

Adam called out orders to various people as they walked and continued. "The ship that was hijacked contains critical information about Project Insight."

"Project Insight? What is that?"

Adam raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You've been off the map too long Winchester." Milligan gestured around the massive underground building as they reached the end of the hall. "This is Project Insight."

Three fully upgraded S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarriers towered over them in the warehouse. Large machines carried materials and weaponry back and forth that were heavily guarded on all sides. It was clear that a massive operation was under works.

"Three of the latest S.H.I.E.L.D. super carriers, each fully loaded with a fleet of aircraft and Navy vessels." Adam presented. "The engines have been completely redesigned by Stark Industries after Tony's rather up close experience with the previous version." He snickered at the memory. "These babies can identify more than a half a million threats simultaneously through DNA identification and eliminate them on the spot."

Dean was in awe, slightly from amazement, slightly from indignation. The twenty first century was nothing like the era he was born in. But this was too much. "I thought this country was founded on freedom, not keeping a gun aimed at every person on the planet in case they step out of line."

Adam gave him a look that almost seemed like pity. "The world isn't what it used to be, Dean. Our enemies are changing, evolving, growing in number. What is the point of sitting around waiting for the next disaster to happen when we have the means to prevent it?"

Dean just shook his head, eyes dark.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Keep your opinions to yourself for now. Our team is assigned to be on the bridge in an hour and I want you to meet my garrison first." Adam called on a group of S.T.R.I.K.E. operatives, beckoning them over. "This is Baltazar, Samandriel and Gadreel."

"Hey." Dean gave the group a small wave in greeting and the three men saluted him. "Good to meet you, Captain."

Satisfied that they had everything in order, Adam clapped his hands together and the team shifted to commando mode. "Alright boys, lets move!"


	2. Chapter 2

Dean and his comrades suited up as the S.H.I.E.L.D. hovercraft flew them towards their destination. A powerful storm raged around them, reminding Dean vaguely of the time Thor appeared atop their ship on his mission with the Avengers.

As much as he hated to admit it, he really missed those guys sometimes. Banner was a bit of a hot head, Thor was kind of an ass and Tony was literally six feet of concentrated sass but they understood him. In one way or another they were all freaks, but that was what made them work good together.

Adam barked out an order, rallying the team together and pulling Dean from his thoughts.

"Our mission is to free the hostages from Alastair and his mercenaries. We do our job right and we can retake the ship without any casualties." Adam paused briefly, nodding at Dean. "Winchester will take out the guards on deck and we'll follow behind. Does everyone understand what their job is?"

"Yes sir." Dean confirmed, flipping the latch on the wall and opening the hanger. Dark clouds cloaked the hovercraft providing cover from the ship below them. Dean grabbed a hold on his shield and dive bombed off the edge of the plane.

"Did he have a parachute?" Balthazar asked, stupefied.

Charlie smirked. "Nope. He doesn't need one."

Gadreel laughed, pulling on his pack. "That dude is such a bad ass."

Five thousand feet below, Dean burst through the clouds shield held out in front as he dived soundlessly into the ocean. The guards on the ship paced slowly along the corridor, unaware. Dean surfaced near the ladder at the bow of the ship and pulled himself up in one swift movement. The first few guards didn't know what hit them and Dean was able to clear the first half of the deck quickly without being detected.

One guard let out a scream in surprise when Dean reached him, alerting the guards of the intruder.

"Security breach!"

Immediately he was surrounded by Alastair's men who attempted to tackle him to the ground in a combined effort. Using his shield like a bench press, Dean sent the guards flying into the air, some flying off the ship and into the ocean. The leader of the troop clicked off the safety on his assault rifle and began rapid fire shooting at Dean who dodged the bullets easily and knocked him out with a quick uppercut to the jaw.

Charlie and the S.T.R.I.K.E. watched the scene wordlessly as they slowly descended to the ship by parachute, landing on the deck just as Dean took out the last runner using his shield as a boomerang.

"You didn't leave any for us." Charlie mock pouted at him and Dean grinned widely.

Adam gave Dean an approving pat on the shoulder before working on splitting the team into two groups.

"The hostages are being held in the kitchens so we will clear that area first." He pointed at Dean. "You, me and Gadreel will work our way up from there." He wheeled around and addressed Charlie. "Alastair is controlling the ship from the bridge but you can to override access to that zone from the control room. Balthazar and Samandriel will stay here and keep an eye out for any trouble."

"We got it chief, now let's go." Dean frowned, impatient.

Adam grinned and punched him in the shoulder playfully. "I'm following you Captain."

Dean's answer was a series of loud bangs as he smashed through the door and leapt down the staircase. Gadreel and Adam battled back to back as they fought their way through three stories of bad guys with guns. Meanwhile, Dean blazed past them taking out a dozen or so agents along the way. By the time Adam and Gadreel caught up to Dean, nearly all of Alastair's forces had been taken out.

"The Director wasn't kidding when he said you get the job done, Captain." Adam praised him as they approached the kitchens. The ships shook as Gadreel began to attach a sticky bomb to the door before Dean stopped him.

"Wait."

He cast his extended senses out and listened to the hostages behind the door. A man with a heavy Russian accent was threatening to shoot one of the passengers unless they got their ransom. The speaker Dean assumed to be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. due to the level of confidence in which he rebuffed his captors.

"I already told you, S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't compromise."

Dean took this as his cue to go in guns blazing and kicked open the door effortlessly. Alastair's men were caught off by surprise but it was enough for Dean to able to take them out swiftly. Gadreel bent down beside the man who identified himself as Agent Singer and began working on untying him.

"Adam, this is Balthazar." The chief's radio buzzed. "You guys must have made quite a racquet down there because Alastair has just been alerted and is sealing off the bridge now."

"That's not possible." Dean shook his head. "Charlie was supposed to have secured the control room by now. What the hell is she doing up there?" Dean spoke into his mic, indirectly calling to Agent Bradbury in case she was listening in.

"I don't know, but you boys better get back upstairs and help her." Balthazar advised.

Adam nodded to Agent Singer making sure that he had the situation under control before climbing the stairs after Dean. Upon reaching the control room, Charlie was nowhere to be found.

"Charlie!" Dean called cautiously.

When there was no response he motioned for Gadreel to check other parts of the ship while Adam worked on gaining access to the bridge. Dean searched up and down the corridors before finally spotting her inside the ship's database center.

"Did you find anything?" Adam called out, noticing Dean's hesitation.

"No, but I think I heard something up on the deck. You should probably go check it out, I can stay down here and look for Charlie." Dean lied smoothly. Whatever Charlie was up to, she obviously didn't want the S.T.R.I.K.E. team to find out. This mission was one of the rare exceptions that would give an agent full access to the S.H.I.E.L.D. data center.

Leave it to Charlie to take advantage of the situation.

Dean burst into the room, making sure the steel blinds kept them from being seen before approaching his comrade.

"What the hell, Charlie? You were supposed to secure the control room!"

"Sorry buddy." Charlie responded without looking up from her task. "But that's your job. My job was to get this." She waited for the system to finish loading before ejecting an advanced flash drive from the S.H.I.E.L.D. computers.

"You're stealing S.H.I.E.L.D secrets? Seriously Charlie?"

"Director's orders, not mine."

Dean narrowed his eyes. Somehow he wasn't surprised that Crowley would have the nerve to go behind his back, even after he literally just told him that he would tell the truth from now on.

"Winchester!" Dean's radio buzzed. "We need help on the bridge pronto. Adam's got it unlocked and we're going in."

"I'm on my way." Dean responded and offered his hand to Charlie mockingly. "Are you coming Double Agent Bradbury?"

"Shut up." She swatted him over the head before launching up the stairs like a cat. The scene that awaited them on the deck could only be described as chaotic. Balthazar and Gadreel were fighting back to back, perfectly in sync as they mowed down enemy forces. The bridge exploded a moment later in a shower of glass with Samandriel and Alastair engaged in a mid air fist fight. Samandriel landed hard on his side and winced in pain as the glass rained down around them.

Dean took this as his cue to leap into action while Charlie pulled the now injured Samandriel away from the fight. Alastair was a skilled fighter but he was no match for Captain America. Dean matched him blow for blow, eventually knocking the gun out of his hand and clobbering him over the head with it. It wasn't long before the S.T.R.I.K.E team was standing over a pile of unconscious mercenaries, the ship fully secured.

Adam appeared a minute later, brandishing the key to the control room.

"The ship is secure." He called into his radio. "We're ready for extraction."

* * *

A hovercraft dropped the group back at headquarters and the team went their separate ways. Dean and Charlie however, went straight to Crowley's office. Charlie to deliver whatever information she had stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D and Dean to get some answers.

"I got it." Charlie announced, tossing the flash drive to the Director's who caught it without looking up. "That should be everything."

"Would you mind explaining what you mean by everything? Charlie compromised the mission by going after that thing!" Dean butted in.

Crowley rolled his eyes. "Dean, why do you think I sent you on that mission?"

"Because you're an asshole!" Dean snapped and shook his head angrily.

The Director gave him a sad look. "It's because I knew you wouldn't let me down, Dean. Whatever the circumstances, I knew you would find a way to get the job done. And you did!"

Dean shrugged and looked away, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Look, I know you don't trust me Dean but you know I have good intentions, right?" Suddenly looking very serious, the Director leaned back against the window. "Adam showed you Project Insight correct?"

"Yeah, a few billion dollars of weaponry packed into three helicarriers. I saw them alright." Dean growled. "While you're at it, mind explaining those too?"

"After what you saw in New York, you two should understand better than anyone how _hilariously_ outgunned our society is. Fortunately we have a few exceptions: Dr. Banner and his anger issues, Stark and his advanced technology, Thor and his hammer, and you Dean Winchester." He shook a finger at Dean, emphasizing his argument. "A human Super Soldier. Together, however unknowingly you have helped in the advancement of S.H.I.E.L.D."

He paused, considering his thoughts for a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately S.H.I.E.L.D. has lost the loyalty of the majority of these assets. Thor is on another planet, Stark has cut all ties with S.H.I.E.L.D. after that nuclear attempt in New York and Banner never wanted anything to do with us in the first place. That only leaves you, but you've made it quite clear that you have doubts about this organization's intentions."

"And?" Dean pressed. "You've never cared about what any of us thought before, why start now?"

"Because." Crowley fiddled with the flash drive before plugging it into the computer and flicking off the lights.

"I'm beginning to think you may be right."


	3. Chapter 3

Crowley stared expectantly at the hologram that had lit up in the middle of the room. The S.H.I.E.L.D symbol was displayed in the center, but it was clear that something was missing.

Dean frowned in confusion. "Look, I don't know much about how computers are supposed to work but can someone please tell me what we're looking at?"

The Director frantically typed in multiple codes in attempt to override the system and gain access to the files but was denied with each trial. "Dammit!" He growled and closed the program angrily. "Whoever created these files didn't want anyone to know what they were doing. The data is completely inaccessible."

"But you expecting that weren't you?" Charlie gave him a searching look and crossed her arms. "You never would have allowed us to be present otherwise." She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

Dean's patience was wearing thin. "I've had enough of your bullshit Crowley, just tell the truth for once in your goddamn life! You had Charlie compromise a mission just to obtain a file we can't even open." His green eyes flashed. "I'd like to know why."

Crowley succumbed to Dean's accusing glare and decided to tell them the truth. Some of it anyway. "First of all, Charlie didn't compromise the mission because there was never even a legitimate threat. I set up the hijacking of that ship for the single purpose of getting a hold of that flash drive."

Dean's took a step forward almost threateningly and Crowley held his hands up in defense. "Relax squirrel. I had a good reason."

"By all means, _elaborate._" To say Dean was angry would be a grotesque understatement. He was furious.

"The Council has been especially secretive about the intentions of Project Insight. As the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D it is my responsibility to make sure this organization has not be compromised." Crowley chose his words carefully.

Charlie looked at Dean worriedly when he snapped back at the Director bitterly. "And if it is? How do I even know I can trust you? You know now that I think about it, I should have trusted Tony's judgement better. There was a time I actually believed that S.H.I.E.L.D was meant to protect people, not hold a gun at their head in case they step out of line!" He pointed at the skyline overlooking D.C. "This isn't freedom. This is fear."

The Director was silent. He knew nothing he could say would inspire Dean to trust him anymore. Honestly he didn't blame him. Dean just shook his head and left the room, leaving the door wide open. Crowley glanced at Charlie who still hadn't moved.

"Whatever you were going to say just save it and go."

Agent Bradbury gave him a sad look and left after Dean, closing the door softly behind her.

Crowley looked troubled for a moment before approaching a bookshelf that lined a wall of his office. He pushed some books around before he found what he was looking for and pulled the lever, revealing a hidden elevator behind the wall. The Director took the lift all the way up to the top floor to meet with Zachariah, the head of the Council. He didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him, but Crowley knew well enough to keep one's enemies close.

"Director Crowley! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Zachariah greeted him cheerily in the hall.

"Just business I'm afraid." Crowley put on his best professional face and followed him into the office. "After the hijacking of that ship, I've had some shortcomings about the security of Project Insight."

"Really?" Zachariah raised his eyebrows as he poured them each a glass of wine. "While I understand where you're coming from, I am quite confident that you have nothing to worry about. Project Insight has been moving along smoothly and they are due to take to the air in about a week. After launch they wouldn't even need to land even to refuel. Stark Industries mate, nothing like it." He tipped his glass and winked.

Crowley considered his answer before speaking. "I have the utmost faith in your judgement Zachariah, but still I urge you to delay the operation. The attack on the ship shook people up quite a bit. I believe it would be wise to acknowledge this instability before we proceed with the plan." The Director finished, running a finger along the edge of his glass smoothly. Crowley was quite skilled with words and was known for his ability to bend others to his will.

Zachariah looked thoughtful and then grinned widely at Crowley. "Always the diplomat eh Crowley? But hey, if you insist, I will delay Project Insight. But only after speaking to the Council first." He added quickly.

Crowley nodded and finished his wine before standing up.

"Oh and Crowley?" Zachariah called after him. "Since I'm doing this because _you_ asked, would you mind doing a favor for me?"

Crowley stiffened but turned around and smiled widely. "It would be my pleasure. What is it you need?"

"My niece's birthday is in a few weeks. She wants Iron Man to come to her party, and not just a fly by this time." Zachariah insisted.

"I'll see what I can do." He assured him and left the office feeling somewhat nauseated. Zachariah was a very charismatic leader, much like himself in a way, but he still made his skin crawl. Crowley honestly didn't believe a word out he'd said. He wondered vaguely if this is how Dean felt about him.

The Director left the Triskelion with an overwhelming sense of foreboding and decided it was time to enlist the help of an old friend.

* * *

Dean Winchester was one hundred percent _done_ with Crowley's lies and half truths. Ever since S.H.I.E.L.D had pulled him out of the ice he had been treated like their property. Tony, Thor and Bruce had cut themselves off from S.H.I.E.L.D completely leaving only him, Charlie and Clint at the disposal of the organization. But by this point, Dean was thoroughly tired of all the alternate motives and corruption. Charlie kept telling him to just get another job, but he knew that wasn't practical. He was a complete stranger to the twenty first century.

Dean parked his bike in front of the Smithsonian museum, in the cover of a ball cap and loose fitting clothes to blend in with the crowd. Any guy who has his own exhibit in the Smithsonian clearly wasn't from this era. He waved a pass at the guide who recognized him and hurried the crowd away, leaving Dean alone in the Captain America showroom.

Walking through the exhibit was comforting to Dean. It made him feel like he was back in his own time, with his own people. With his little brother...

Dean stopped in front of Sam Winchester's display, reading the biography he already knew by heart. Someone had been payed by the museum to write a memento on his brother so that his life could be displayed to the world. The story of Sam Winchester.

The boy that Dean had spent his entire childhood protecting from their abusive father. The brother who grew up to be his best friend. The man who went off to war while his sickly brother stayed behind.

Dean had never approved on Sam's desire to enlist into the war as he preferred to keep his little brother close to home. His life revolved around protecting Sammy. Everything he did, good and bad, he did for him.

But it still wasn't enough to save him.

Dean felt his chest tighten as he recalled his brother's untimely death. Tears ran down his face and he let out a small sob.

"God, I miss you Sammy, words can't describe how much." Dean turned to look at the wax figure depicting his brother. It was painfully accurate. The black and white pictures of the two brothers smiling from the walls of the museum burned him like hot coals.

A young man whistling cheerily rounded the corner into the exhibit, faltering when he saw Dean.

"Hey man, you alright?" A familiar voice called.

Dean looked up and found himself face to face with Castiel Novak.

"Dean." His smile faltered and his deep blue eyes grew concerned. Dean quickly scrambled to make up an excuse for crying in front of his exhibit because Captain America does _not_ cry. Especially in front of people like Cas who apparently idolized him and thought he was a bad ass.

Before he could even get a word out Castiel pulled him into a hug. Dean stood in shock for a moment before hugging him back. "Thanks man."

"No problem, you looked like you needed it." Castiel smiled at him as he broke away. Dean was happy he didn't pressure him to talk about what his feelings. He wasn't ready to talk about Sammy. Not now, on the anniversary of his death.

Dean chatted for a bit with Castiel and quickly found himself growing to become quite fond of the man. The guy was a bit weird but he had a wicked sense of humor. When the exhibit closed, the two exchanged numbers and Castiel gave him another hug before bidding him farewell.

Dean wiped the tears from his face and left the museum still smiling after his encounter with Cas. Despite the pain of the memories, he left feeling slightly more comforted by his seeing his brother's exhibit. Almost as if he was still here watching over him.

Little did he know his brother actually was watching over him: from the rooftop of Dean's apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean dragged his feet up the stairs, completely exhausted after his mission. A young women who Dean recognized as his neighbor Jo waved at him front the porch. "Well look at what the cat dragged in." She smirked, folding a magazine and tossing it down on the railing. "You look like shit."

Dean gave her a small smile and plopped down on the porch swing beside her. "I appreciate your honesty."

Jo grinned widely and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, you look like you could use a coffee break."

"But I just want to sleep." Dean protested, shoulders slumping.

"Honey, it's only two in the afternoon. How late did you stay out last night?"

"You don't even want to know." Dean groaned as Jo dragged him into her apartment on the floor below and poured him a cup of coffee.

* * *

Sam Winchester stood atop the roof of their apartment watching the scene quietly from behind shadowed eyes. Something about this Dean guy seemed oddly familiar...

The soldier shook his head roughly, dark hair blowing about in the wind. This man was not his target. However, he still played a crucial role in his mission as Dean was a potential ally of the man in question. Sam was confident enough in his abilities but should Dean come to his target's defense, the mission could be compromised. Making sure he was out of range of the attack site was vital.

Sam narrowed his eyes. He had never failed a mission before and he didn't plan on it any time soon. The consequences for failure were too painful to comprehend.

Sam turned his back on Dean, who was now snoring softly on Jo's couch despite the heavy dose of caffeine she had put in his drink. Leaping across nearby rooftops, Sam's killer genome kicked in as he zeroed in on his target.

A few miles away, Crowley was stuck in traffic. The director tapped the steering wheel impatiently as he waited for the light to turn green. The traffic in this city was truly the spawn of satan, he thought venomously.

A police cruiser pulled up along side him and it took Crowley a few moments to realize the driver was staring at him. Uneasy, he raised his eyebrows at the man questioningly. "Stop staring." He mouthed. "It's creepy."

Still the man did not look away and Crowley shuddered, slightly uncomfortable under his glare. When the light turned green he jerked the car forward in a desperate move to escape his creepy stalker. In his rush to get away, the Director had no warning of the second police cruiser that slammed into his SUV as he crossed the intersection. Crowley barely had time to register what had happened when suddenly his SUV was boxed in by another pair of false police cruisers. A sense of dread washed over him as he realized that his fears had just been confirmed. Someone seriously wanted him dead.

Not a moment later his attackers opened fire on the SUV. Had Crowley been in any other car he would have been chalked full of bullets by now. But any car issued by S.H.I.E.L.D was prepared for these kind of situations: bulletproof windows deflected the bullets, leaving no more that a small dent in the glass.

However it soon became clear that these agents clearly knew what they were doing. A van swerved into the crash site and a squadron of masked men burst out of the back and placed a piece of heavy machinery beside the side window.

A moment later the machine started pounding the glass like a battering ram, the tiny nicks in the glass quickly turning into long cracks across the window.

"**Sir, our defenses are falling rapidly."** The car's AI system noted. **"Offensive action is advisable."**

Crowley's agent instincts kicked in and he grabbed hold of the wheel. "Wait for it Jarvis."

**"Armor capacity at thirty percent."**

**"Window capacity twenty percent."**

**"Ten percent."**

**"Five percent."**

"Now Jarvis!"

Crowley timed his attack perfectly. The moment the glass shattered, Jarvis ejected the steering wheel from it's frame and the wheel swiftly reorganized itself into a machine gun.

The mercenaries didn't have time to react as Crowley began to mow down his attackers until he had cleared a gap wide enough to escape from the blockade. The Director revved the engine and tore out of the intersection, his attackers still hot in pursuit.

"Jarvis, we need to get in the air pronto."

**"Flight capabilities damaged."**

Crowley cursed as his pursuers caught up to the car, successfully surrounding him.

**"Warning, intersection ahead."**

"Perfect." Crowley growled before he slammed on the brakes. The two police cruisers were caught off guard and kept flying down the street before they were taken down by a semi truck crossing the intersection.

"Jarvis, get Agent Ruby on the line now!"

**"Communications array offline." **

"Then what's not broken?"

**"Air conditioning still fully operational."**

"Bloody hell!" He snapped as he tore through the streets. Every cruiser he was able to take out, another pair appeared in it's place. Crowley flipped open the offensive weapons panel on the dash and launched rockets at every target in range.

"GET ME OFF THE GRID!" Crowley ordered as the street erupted in a cloud of smoke from the explosion of one of the cruisers. As the street became visible again, he noticed a single man standing in the middle of the street.

Sam Winchester narrowed his eyes at the target racing towards him at top speed. His metal finger lightly tapped the trigger and a device shot out across the road before attaching itself to the bottom of the SUV.

Crowley's eyes widened a moment before the bottom of the car exploded, sending the vehicle skidding vertically across the intersection. Sam took a single step out of the way as Crowley's car rolled past him before it came to a stop against a street barrier.

It was a few moments before Crowley became aware of the fast approaching assassin, Sam's assault rifle carefully aimed at the wreck of the SUV. Crowley fumbled through the tool panel that was miraculously still intact before he found what he was looking for and quickly melted a hole in the ground large enough the escape through. Sam rolled the car over with a single kick, revealing the newly formed hole his target had escaped through.

A quick burst of anger flashed through his mind before it was quickly replaced with fear. Sam's mind was only wired to feel a certain range of emotions. Anger and fear were most prominent as they were helpful in the success of his mission.

Sam snapped his head up and concentrated. His enhanced senses kicked in and he focused in on the thermal figure below the road that was quickly heading southbound towards Dean's apartment.

Although every nerve in his being was itching to rip apart the concrete and kill the target, he knew it was smarter to stick to the backup plan. There was no room to be reckless. Failure was not an option.

* * *

Jo had fallen asleep soon after Dean so she did not hear the loud bangs coming from his apartment shortly after. Dean's enhanced senses however, did pick up a disturbance. He didn't think much of it at first, lazily getting up and covering Jo with a blanket before pausing outside his own apartment. That was when he heard the music blaring from inside.

Smooth jazz, the kind of music he grew up listening to in Brooklyn. Dean tensed and opened the door to his apartment, which was surprisingly unlocked. The last time he had woken up in an apartment filled with music from his time, things had not ended well. Instinctively he reached for anything that could be used as a weapon and stepped cautiously into the living room.

Dean nearly dropped the lamp he was wielding like a shield when he saw who the intruder was. It was Crowley, who quite honestly looked like he had just been run over by a bus.

"Director Crowley." Dean nodded respectfully though his eyes still betrayed a hint of suspension. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm having some marriage problems, needed somewhere to crash." Crowley typed something on his phone as he spoke before holding it up to Dean.

**Ears everywhere. Not safe to talk.**

Dean understood immediately and placed the lamp back on the nightstand before turning back to Crowley. "How's that? She doesn't trust you anymore?" He may be playing along but he still didn't trust Crowley enough to tell him the truth.

"Something like that." Crowley kept his eyes on Dean as he spoke before he held up the screen again.

**S.H.I.E.L.D has been compromised. **

Dean didn't have time to comprehend the Director's answer before Crowley promptly pulled him close enough to whisper in his ear. "Take this," He commanded as he slid a flash drive into Dean's pocket. "And trust no one."

There was a series of load gunshots and Dean felt three bullet's graze his side before they hit their mark. Crowley took three shots to the chest before he slumped over with blood pouring out of his wounds.

"Crowley!" Dean knelt over his Director, all thoughts of distrust replaced immediately by concern. The door to his apartment suddenly burst open and with it was Jo, fully armed with a knife and a S.H.I.E.L.D issued rifle.

"Jo?"

She shook here head. "My name is Agent 13 and I've been assigned to protect you." She explained quickly.

"Dean." Crowley called weakly. "Run."

"I'll take care of him Dean but you need to go." Agent 13 assured him. Dean shared a long look with Crowley before he nodded at Jo and turned to the shattered window where the shots had came through. In the building adjacent to him, Dean could see the faint outline of a man staring right at him.

A wave of adrenaline rushed over him as Dean launched across the gap and burst into the other building. The assassin was fast as he swiftly made his way to the roof with Dean hot on his tail.

"Hey!" Dean yelled as he burst through the rooftop doorway and launched his shield at the fleeing assassin. The man had just reached the end of the rooftop before he turned and caught Dean's spinning shield with a strong metal arm.

Dean felt almost as if the air had stilled and time had slowed down when he took in the sight of the man in front of him. Clad fully in black from head to toe, long dark hair blown about in the wind. The arm he had caught the shield with was fully metal save for a small red symbol imbedded on the bicep. His face was covered with a dark mask save for his eyes which were rimmed with black war paint. The thing that stood out the most besides his metallic arm were his shockingly green eyes, almost the same shade as Dean's.

The man blinked and the moment was gone when he tossed the shield back at Dean with nearly the same level of power. Dean flinched as he caught it and when he looked back up, the man with the metal arm had disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

**This will be kind of a long chapter because I haven't updated in a while. Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

Dean spent some time combing the streets in an attempt to find the metal armed man but to no avail. The mysterious assassin had simply vanished.

Dean's cell began buzzing in his pocket and he picked it up on the first ring.

"Dean, where are you?" Charlie demanded, somewhat worriedly.

"I'm downtown trying to find the bastard who owes me a new window." Dean growled, eyes raking over the city.

"Forget about him and get your ass to the hospital!" She paused. "Crowley just arrived...Dean I don't think he's going to make it." Her voice cracked at the end and Dean stiffened.

"I'm on my way."

* * *

It normally took some pestering from the guards to get into the S.H.I.E.L.D wing of the main city hospital but this time they let him right in. The look on Dean's face clearly implied that he was not to be argued with. Seeing his Director get shot down right before his eyes had left Dean feeling slightly murderous and on edge.

"Dean!" Charlie met him in the hallway and pulled him towards the operating room. A large viewing window had been set up allowing them to see inside. A group of doctors worked around Crowley, trying desperately to restart his heart.

"He's not responding."

The surgeon began to pump his chest with the shock pads while a nurse injected more fluids into the IV.

Charlie was growing noticeably more distressed with every failed attempt to bring Crowley back to life. Her face was pressed up against the glass, silently willing their Director to get back to his feet like he always did.

But the man did nothing but lie there lifelessly with his good eye closed.

After a few minutes of shock therapy with no result, the doctor let the pulse line go dead and recorded the time of death. Dean couldn't bring himself to watch any longer and stormed out of the room, leaving Charlie alone to wallow in her silent grief.

He did not feel the man shove past him roughly in the hallway nor the coldness of the tile as he sank down to his knees against a vending machine. Dean was numb from all feeling, somewhere between a state of denial and acceptance. At this point in his life, Dean was adept at dealing with grief.

Grief for the comrades he'd lost in WWII.

Grief for the people he lost when he was frozen in ice for seventy years.

Grief for all the people he failed to save in New York.

Worst was the grief from losing Sam. Dean knew that he would never in a million years be over his brother's death. Every death he had ever experienced since then had brought back the that grief ten fold.

And Crowley's hit him like a bullet to the heart.

_I couldn't save him. I failed. _

_Again. _

_Just like I failed Sammy._

Dean sat on the floor with his head in his heads. He did not allow himself to cry. Because even through the haze of his grief, Dean's mind was connecting the dots. Someone killed Crowley for the device that was currently resting in Dean's coat pocket. A device that somehow held evidence of S.H.I.E.L.D.S corruption.

Crowley was not normally a trusting person by anyone's standards.

But still he trusted Dean enough to make sure he was the last person he saw before he died. Because he knew Dean wouldn't fail him on this.

"Agent Winchester" A deep voice pulled Dean from his thoughts roughly and he tightened his grip on the flash drive in his pocket.

"Zachariah wants to speak with you regarding the attack on Director Crowley." Adam Milligan ordered with a hint of a threat in his voice." You are required to come to headquarters for questioning."

Dean sighed almost lazily, but in reality he was stalling. "Just get Jo, or whatever shes calling herself these days to do it. She was a witness too you know."

"Agent Harvelle has already been released from questioning after she dropped the Director at the hospital. What I want to know was where were you after the attack? You didn't come directly to the hospital like your partner did." Adam demanded and pointed to Charlie who was currently swarmed with S.T.R.I.K.E interrogators.

"Hey I thought we were on good terms Milligan." Dean held his hands up in defense. "I was out looking for the guy who shot Crowley."

"Did you find him?" Adam pressed.

"No. He got away."

"Of course he did." The commander threw his hands up in the air to emphasize his point. "Which is why you're coming in for questioning. If I don't see you down at the Triskelion in ten minutes I'll be forced to send someone to detain you. Are we clear Winchester?"

"I heard you." Dean glared back definitely and the S.T.R.I.K.E team left the building. By now the flash drive felt like a hot coal in his pocket, blatantly obvious that it would be discovered if he brought it with him to headquarters. Questioning often meant "enhanced interrogation" and a good pat down.

Dean glanced up at the vending machine he was leaning up against.

_It's not perfect but it will have to do, _Dean thought as he deposited the flash drive behind a few packs of gum.

"Winchester!"

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming!" Dean growled and followed the the agents out of the building.

Charlie's green eyes followed him until he was out the door before flicking back to the vending machine. _One can never have enough gum, can they?_

* * *

As expected, the guards gave Dean a fairly good pat down before they left him in to see Zachariah. All the while Crowley's last words were buzzing in his brain.

_Trust no one._

"Winchester! Just the man I wanted to see." Zachariah grinned at him when he entered the room. The head of the Council had a habit of giving his victims a false sense of security with his cheery antics before he tore their head off. Figuratively of course.

"Lovely day today isn't it?" The man hobbled over to the window and stared down at the city with a mischievous look in his eye.

"Just cut to the chase, Zach." Dean snapped, anxious to get out of the building quickly.

"Easy there Winchester, might I remind you who you are speaking to?" He smirked before continuing. "Before Crowley showed up in your apartment, he was attacked by a group of masked men. There was one man in particular that was involved in the initial attack that met your description of the assassin who followed him to your home. He had a metal arm, correct?"

Dean had a hard time processing this information. "The metal armed man followed Crowley to my apartment?" Something about that was unsettling to Dean. This guy _knew where he lived. _

Zachariah shrugged. "According to your report, this metal armed man simply disappeared into thin air after he killed Crowley. Now correct me if I'm wrong but I find it kind of hard to believe that a man can just disappear into thin air. Especially if Captain America is on their tail."

Zachariah leaned forward threateningly. "My main concern right now is finding out who killed Director Crowley. Unfortunately for you Dean Winchester, you are at the top of our list of suspects."

Dean's eyes flashed with anger. "Why would I want to kill Crowley? We may not have always seen eye to eye but he was still my friend."

"So you say Winchester." Zachariah countered. "But I have video evidence of a dispute between you and the Director hours before the attack." He flipped open the screen on the tablet showing him a recording of their argument earlier that day. Leave it to the Zachariah to bug Crowley's office.

_"I've had enough of your bullshit Crowley, just tell the truth for once in your goddamn life! You had Charlie compromise a mission just to obtain a file we can't even open." Dean's hologram spoke angrily. _

_"I'd like to know why."_

_Crowley's hologram sighed. "First of all, Charlie didn't compromise the mission because there was never even a legitimate threat. I set up the hijacking of that ship for the single purpose of getting a hold of that flash drive."_

_Dean's hologram stepped forward threateningly and Crowley's hologram held his hands up in defense. "Relax squirrel. I had a good reason."_

_"Oh right, something about not trusting S.H.I.E.L.D? Mind explaining that too?"_

_"The Council has been especially secretive about the intentions of Project Insight. As you know I lost my spot on the Council_ _after the incident in New York. But I still remain the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D and it is my responsibility to make sure this organization has not be compromised." _

The screen cut to black and Zachariah gave Dean a searching look. "If Crowley were with us today I would be questioning him about his upsurd accusations against our organization, specifically involving this flash drive business. So I'm going to ask you again: Do you have anything you'd like to tell me Dean?"

Dean bit back a witty response and forced himself to maintain his composure. "Director Crowley told me not to trust anyone."

Zachariah looked almost sad for a moment before his eyes turned hard and he looked away. "I'm very disappointed in you Dean. You may go now."

Dean left the room without another word, trying not to seem antsy as he made his way down the hall. Back in Zachariah's office, the head of the Council made a call and the line picked up on the third dial.

"Permission to terminate the target." Zachariah smirked and hung up.

On the floor below a small group of agents bumped into him and Dean flinched.

_Trust no one._

When he made it to the elevator he relaxed a little as it was empty of any S.H.I.E.L.D operatives. After a few moments the elevator came to a stop to pick up a group of S.T.R.I.K.E agents including Adam Milligan who nodded at Dean respectfully. He would never understand how that man's attitude towards Dean could go from ally to threatening to respectful acknowledgement in such a short period of time.

_Trust no one._

The elevator descended another few floors before it stopped again to pick up another group of agents.

And another.

And another.

They had only descended seven floors and already Dean was boxed in from all sides by S.T.R.I.K.E operatives. Dean soon came to the same conclusion that Director Crowley had only hours before. Someone wanted them dead.

Dean cast a look around at the other agents who were all attempting to avoid eye contact as the elevator began moving again.

"Before we start," Dean grabbed hold of the shield attached to his suit in preparation. "Does anyone want to get out?"

The S.T.R.I.K.E team immediately took this as their cue to attack and soon Dean was overrun. Adam Milligan pinned him to the wall while Balthazar and Gadreel managed to attach a strong magnet to his arm, trapping it against the door of the elevator. Adam began to kick the Captain roughly in the gut in his vulnerable state and soon the other agents joined in. A surge of anger rushed through Dean at the betrayal of the men who, until a few hours ago had been his allies.

Using his free arm as a weapon, Dean pummeled Gadreel in the face and fly kicked Adam across the elevator, who hit the glass wall of the lift with a crunch. The Captain used his free arm to knock out the majority of his attackers before finally pulling his arm free of the magnet. Balthazar pulled a gun on Dean who deflected the bullets with his shield before knocking him out with it. Soon Dean was the only man left standing in a pile of unconscious assassins.

Adam Milligan lifted his head up weakly and cursed at him. "We will kill you for what you did-" Dean cut him off by clobbering the agent over the head with his shield in annoyance.

"Fuck you Milligan."

Dean looked around the elevator, realizing that it had stopped. Using his shield as a wrench, Dean pulled the doors apart before releasing that he had stopped on the wrong floor. Every agent in the hallway including Jo Harvelle turned to Dean in shock.

"Dean?" Jo called softly, sounding almost worried for him.

Crowley's final advice repeated in Dean's mind like a broken record._ Trust now one. _

A rather aggressive S.T.R.I.K.E agent shoved past her. "Winchester is on level sixty seven. Move in on the target!"

"Shit." Dean quickly closed the door before the agents could reach him. He had to get out of the Triskelion _now._ The doors behind him shook as his pursuers pounded the doors with what felt like a battering ram.

"Shit, shit-" Dean cursed as the elevator shook and his eyes caught on something outside the glass: A S.H.I.E.L.D quinjet was hovering dangerously close to the glass elevator.

"Shit."

A moment later the quinjet opened fire on the elevator and the glass exploded. Dean made up his mind quickly and dive-bombed off the sixty seventh floor of the Triskellion. The Captain crashed through the glass roof of the main hall before landing hard on the concrete. Dean took a few moments to pick himself of of the dent his body had just made in the concrete before shaking the glass shards out of his hair. _Fuck, that hurt._

"Dean?" Agent Barton stood in a few meters away staring at Dean in shock. His expression seemed concerned but Crowley's mantra told Dean to think otherwise.

_Trust no one. _

A S.T.R.I.K.E team swerved into the hallway pointing at Dean.

"Hell no! There is no way he survived that fall." One of the agents who Dean recognized as Samadriel exclaimed.

"Forget it, and kill him you idiot!" Samadriel's comrade growled before advancing on Dean.

Agent Barton stepped between the S.T.R.I.K.E team and Dean defensively. "Hey now, no one here is killing anyone." He warned, grabbing ahold of his bow.

"Out of the way Barton." Samadriel snapped and attempted to shove past him but was quickly halted when Clint launched him across the hall with a quick uppercut to the jaw.

Dean took advantage of the situation and bolted out of there while Clint bought him some time. He quickly made his way to the S.H.I.E.L.D garage and kickstarted his bike with S.T.R.I.K.E hot on his tail.

A quinjet stood between him and the edge of the S.H.I.E.L.D propety line. "Stop right there Winchester. We are authorized to shoot you down should you not comply." The pilot's voice echoed through the speakerphone.

"I got the message, you bastards." Dean revved the engine and using the nose of the quinjet as a ramp, launched over the gate and out of the property. He knew that S.H.I.E.L.D wasn't reckless enough to follow him pass their property line as doing so would rec havoc on the city, so he really wasn't that concerned about returning to the hospital to retrieve the flash drive.

Dean snuck in through the hospital window, clad in a black hoodie so he wouldn't be recognized. However, when he finally made it to his impromptu hiding spot, all of the bubble gum that had been hiding the flash drive had disappeared, and with it the device.

Dean inspected every nook and cranny of the machine in a frenzy before he saw the the reflection in the glass behind him. Charlie stood there mischievously smacking on an entire pack of bubble gum with a shiny silver flash driver twirling between her fingers.


End file.
